title: Shape-changing polymer assemblies.
abstract: A panoply of stimuli-sensitive polymorphic polymer assemblies has been constructed through the intentional synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers comprising hydrophilic, stimulus-responsive, and hydrophobic blocks. Transformations among canonical micellar forms of polymer assemblies-spherical micelles, wormlike micelles, and vesicles (polymersomes)-have been demonstrated with a number of synthetic systems. This review discusses recent progress in the development and understanding of these systems with a focus on open questions about kinetics of shape change, effects of block copolymer architecture on the rate and nature of the transformation, and potential applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. robert.grubbs@stonybrook.edu
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Grubbs
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun